Shadowbreath Part 2
by She'sLikeTexas
Summary: 3 months after the events of "Shadowbreath," Peter and Alex take a field trip to Avengers Tower.


**Note: Cliché visit to Avengers Tower…**

**This video of Chris Evans and Elizabeth Olsen will be useful for this particular story: ** watch?v=FZuVQuKuuDE

**Shadowbreath **

**Part 2**

Peter sat near the back of the classroom, trying and failing to pay attention to the physics lesson Mrs. Tidwell was reviewing on the board. It was March, and Spring Break was just a week away. He glanced over to his left, seeing Alex staring at the window looking completely bored, and Michelle, who was wearing a matching expression but scribbling notes down into her spiral. To his right, Ned's eyes were fixed on their teacher, probably absorbing everything with interest. Peter couldn't get himself to focus no matter how hard he tried, his knee bouncing endlessly underneath his desk.

The bell sounded, and as everyone began packing up their things, Mrs. Tidwell cleared her throat. "Class, don't forget about our field trip coming up on Friday!" The students groaned, uninterested in taking a mandatory trip when they could be watching movies in class since there would be no lesson plans. "Don't give me that, you heathens. You don't even know where we're going yet!"

She straightened her glasses and glared down the kids who left their seats without permission. "We received confirmation today that our class will be visiting the Avengers Tower." Peter's breath caught and he had to wheeze out a cough in order to suck in air normally again. "Apparently, Stark Industries has returned their base of operations to the Tower, and are completely moved back in."

The class muttered excitedly to themselves as Mrs. Tidwell arranged a stack of papers on her desk. "Take a permission slip home and get it signed. I want them returned to me by Wednesday. No permission slip, no field trip."

As they filed out of the classroom, Alex slid up next to Peter, "Uh...what do we do?" She looked nervous, which wasn't very surprising considering that the entire class would be wandering around her home on Friday. Over the past three months, Peter and Alex had been able to keep up appearances that they were cousins, and no one was the wiser that Captain America was her legal guardian. Whenever he, Alex, MJ, and Ned would hang out, it was always either at May or Ned's apartment, or they would find someplace in the city.

Peter worried at his bottom lip. "I...uh...I guess we go on the field trip? We don't really have a choice, do we? They know who Ned is, and we can't risk our _friends_ showing up and blowing our cover on accident, right? We have to be there to make sure they keep quiet."

Alex rolled her eyes, "Blow our cover, embarrass us in front of the entire class, whatever it is, they'll find a way to do it."

Ned and MJ waited for them near Peter's locker. "It's gotta be pretty cool having SI back at the tower, huh?" MJ asked in a way that said she knew something he didn't. Her brow was popped and she looked between Alex and Peter suspiciously.

Peter chuckled nervously, "Y-yeah. Definitely."

A loud crash sounded behind them, and Peter whipped around to see Flash standing with a hand on the row of now-closed lockers sneering down at him. The bully's shoulder was hunched a few inches, and there was distinct bruising along his collarbone peeking out underneath his t-shirt, an injury Peter recognized from being around the Avengers. "Hey Penis Parker."

Peter gripped Alex's elbow, silently warning her to stay calm. It had taken some begging on his part, but after two weeks, Peter was finally able to convince her _not_ to murder the bully. He tried to tell her that people acted like that because of something going on in their own lives, and that he's learned to just ignore the taunts. She was just a _little_ overprotective of him, so to say that she didn't react well when she first heard Flash call him 'Penis Parker,' was an understatement. He tried to explain that nobody besides Ned knew their secrets, and it needed to stay that way. Strangling Flash in the middle of the school hallway was sure to rouse suspicions.

"Are you scared, Parker? Everyone will finally know your little secret."

He furrowed his brow and looked between his friends. "What?"

Flash laughed cruelly, his friends following suit behind him. "That you are a _liar_. Everyone knows you're not really an intern at Stark Industries, dickwad. You only made that up to get attention. And now, everyone will see it for themselves on Friday."

Peter kept his grip on Alex's elbow and spun around, nodding to Ned and MJ. "Let's get out of here."

"Yeah, you better run, losers!" Flash called out, cupping his hands over his mouth so that the sound traveled throughout the hallway, causing any student in the remote area to turn and laugh as they pushed through the doors.

XX

"I swear I'm going to burn that little shit to the ground the next time he calls you that!" Alex growled as they stepped off the elevator into the Common Room.

"What are we burning to the ground?" Steve asked from his seat at the bar, looking up from his book with an amused expression.

Peter glared at Alex, making sure she kept her mouth shut. "Nothing, Cap."

Steve's brow furrowed, and he stretched out his arm so that Alex could step into his space to give him a quick hug. "It didn't sound like nothing. I think I should know if Alex is planning on burning something."

"She was joking," Peter grumbled, depositing himself on the couch and pulling out his homework. He got an idea and twisted around to face Steve as Alex took the spot next to him. "Hey...you wouldn't happen to know if the team is going to be around the Tower on Friday, would you?"

Steve cocked his head to the side and closed his book. "I don't think so. We have a training session at S.H.I.E.L.D. that should take up most of the day. Why do you ask?"

He perked up and grinned at Alex. "No reason."

She pulled out the permission slip out of her bag and handed it to the super soldier. "Steve, can you sign this? We have a field trip coming up."

"Sure, where are you going?" He asked, glancing over the form.

Alex looked at Peter out of the corner of her eye. "Just to a museum. Boring stuff." Steve shrugged, signing off on the dotted line before handing it back to Alex.

The two teenagers grinned at each other. One down, one to go.

XX

Thursday evening found Tony in his workshop fiddling around with a new suit for Peter while Steve and Natasha chatted quietly in the corner. After declaring that the billionaire needed to find a better balance between shutting himself off in the lab and spending more time with the Avengers, Steve had carried down two couches and placed them out of the way.

This way, at any given time, his friends could come and have a comfortable place to sit while Tony worked. Each of them spent their time differently. Steve sketched, usually drawing likenesses of his teammates, but sometimes working on catching the sleek lines of Tony's different machines. Nat sharpened her knives or knitted, a new hobby she had picked up recently. Wanda spent most of her time scrolling through social media while Vision and Scott were neck deep in whatever Tony was working on at the time. Clint made it his life's mission to find every available vent in the workshop and see if he could fit inside, occasionally shouting out demands (_ideas_, Clint insisted) for new arrows or an upgrade to his suit.

"Incoming call from Nick Fury, Boss." F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerted, causing Tony to groan and roll away from his blueprints.

"Go ahead, " He called, grabbing Steve and Natasha's attention. They stepped up behind him as the video screen popped up.

"Stark."

Tony grinned, "Fury! Long time no talk. Oh wait, that's a lie, we talked yesterday. Twice in one week is bad for my complexion, tell him, Nat."

Nat's brow popped but she gave him a little smirk. "It's bad for his complexion."

Fury looked upwards, obviously trying to curb his shortening patience. "The training session tomorrow is cancelled, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be undergoing a surprise audit."

"Ew, gross." Tony sneered, already rolling back towards his new toy.

"It wouldn't even be necessary if _someone_ hadn't dumped all of our classified information onto the internet." Fury grumbled, using his one good eye to stare down Steve and Nat.

"If you're looking for an apology, you've come to the wrong place," The super soldier retorted. His cell phone chimed, and he checked it before putting it back into his pocket and moving to grab his sketchbook.

Natasha cut the call and put her hands on her hips, "What, are we boring you?"

Steve smiled sheepishly, "No, but Alex is ready to be picked up from MJ's. I was going to take the bike."

"She loves the bike," Tony called out, accidently wiping engine grease into his hair. "Damn teenager keeps asking for me to build her one."

The super soldier frowned. "Don't even think about it, Tony."

Tony shrugged, "Maybe I will now that I know you don't approve. F.R.I.D.A.Y., cancel the training on the team's calendars. Is there anything else we should be looking out for tomorrow?"

"Peter and Alex's class will be visiting the Avengers Tower tomorrow from ten o'clock until three o'clock." the AI answered helpfully.

Steve stopped the elevator doors from closing and peeked back out, "Wait what? They told me they were going to a museum."

"Pete didn't say anything about a field trip." Tony pouted, reaching out to wipe his blackened hands with an equally dirty towel.

Natasha's smirk widened, "Sounds like your kids didn't want you to know they were coming."

"Why wouldn't they?" Steve asked incredulously.

She made herself comfortable on the couch and resumed her knitting, "I don't know, it could be because you two are the most embarrassing parental figures ever to walk the planet."

Tony huffed, shaking his head. "I reject that accusation!" He tossed the blueprints for Peter's Iron Spider suit into a secure server and rolled towards DUM-E's outstretched arm, grabbing the offered smoothie. "I'm not a regular dad. I'm a _cool_ dad. See, I watch hip and happening movies!"

"I would disagree with you, Nat, but the fact that I just understood that reference might prove your point. Never thought I would have been coerced into watching Mean Girls just so that I could spend time with a teenager." Steve sighed and returned to the elevator. "I need to pick up Alex."

Tony stumbled out of his chair, almost dropping his smoothie. "Rogers, do not, under any circumstances, let on that we know about their field trip tomorrow. And don't tell her the training session is cancelled!"

"Why not?" He asked, stopping the doors once more.

The billionaire groaned, "because if we are going to embarrass them, we can't let them know that we know, you know?"

The super soldier blinked, turning to look at Natasha who was smirking down into her work, and stepped backwards. "Sure, Tony. My lips are sealed."

XX

On the bus ride to Avengers Tower, Alex flopped into the seat next to Peter, groaning softly. "This sucks."

He rolled his eyes, gripping the upholstery. "It's not that bad."

She shot him a deadpanned look and leaned in, whispering. "Happy drove me from the Tower to school this morning, and now I'm having to ride this janky-ass bus _back_ home, ride it _back_ to school, then I have to drive _back_ home. It _sucks_."

The corners of his lips twitched. That did suck. He couldn't fight off a laugh, and she shoved his shoulder. "I'm going to sit next to MJ." Alex leaned over across the aisle. "Ned, switch with me."

Peter's best friend smiled a little too broadly, which might have something to do with his enormous crush on Alex, and stumbled out of his seat. "Sure, sure." Ned swapped seats with her, and deposited himself next to Peter. "Dude, how stoked are you for this field trip?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Not even a little bit. It's already hard enough to keep our secret, it's going to be so much worse actually visiting the tower. Alex _lives_ there for christ's sake. We're just lucky the Avengers have a training session at S.H.I.E.L.D. today."

Ned chewed on the inside of his cheek, "About that, won't F.R.I.D.A.Y. alert everyone that you're there? It's kind of her thing."

"Shoot, I didn't even think about that…" He pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to F.R.I.D.A.Y. Tony had given him the AI's direct line the first weekend he stayed at the compound. A quiet ding sounded, notifying him of the AI's response. "Perfect," he murmured. "She's going to keep it on the down-low."

"Yo, Penis Parker!" Flash shoved poor Joshua against the window in the seat in front of him and Ned, grinning cruelly at them. Peter's eyes flew to his collarbone where the bruises were covered up. He wondered vaguely if he should talk to Tony about it. "Bet you're getting pretty nervous, huh? The entire class will know what a pathetic liar you are soon enough."

"Peter really does intern at SI!" Ned argued, half standing in his seat before Peter shoved him back down. Flash wasn't worth getting in trouble over, no matter how annoying he was.

The bully snorted, looking positively delighted at getting a reaction. "Sure he does, dickwad. I bet he also knows _Tony Stark_, and hangs out with the Avengers on a regular basis." He threw his head back and laughed. "Does Captain America read you bedtime stories, Penis Parker?"

"Flash…" Alex growled out a warning from her spot next to MJ. Peter tried to will her to cool off from across the aisle, to not give him the satisfaction, but he could practically see the air shimmer around her.

If anything, Flash seemed to revel at the attention. It wasn't common that Alex even gave him the time of day, despite his numerous attempts over the past three months. "Alex, _baby_, have you finally decided to stop hanging out with these losers? I know you can't choose your family, but you can definitely choose your _friends_. I'll always have a seat for you next to me. And if you're really nice, I'll even let you bring Michelle to the winner's circle."

Oh shit. Well, now Flash had gone and done it. Peter was too far away to really stop her, so he figured he would just have to be resigned to webbing Alex to the seat to keep her from brutally maiming Flash, forcing himself revealing to the entire class that he was Spider-Man. He tensed, shifting so that he was crouched along the bus bench. Just as he was about to spring into action, MJ grabbed Alex's shoulder and whispered something into her ear, effectively calming her down. The air stopped doing that weird rippling thing, and his friend deflated. He wondered what the hell MJ said to her.

The murderous glint reflecting in her eye didn't quite diminish though. "Flash, if you don't shut the hell up and turn around_ right now_, I'm going to burn your ridiculously small dick off and then _feed_ it to you."

The back of the bus quieted down like a shot rang out, and Peter held his breath to see what the bully would do. He was only half interested to see if Alex would follow through on her threat. Flash must have realized by the look on her face that she wasn't joking in the least, and laughed awkwardly. "Y-yeah, right, babe-_Rogers_," he correctly quickly, seeing her expression darken even further. He must have had _some_ survival instincts though, because he pushed off of Anthony and scrambled back towards his original seat.

Ned let out a loud huff, suddenly breaking the silence and bursting into laughter. Peter and MJ joined in, followed by the rest of the students around them. Peter glanced over to see if Alex had taken a breather, but her normal caramel brown eyes had morphed into bottomless ebony black saucers.

It was going to be a long day.

XX

When the bus finally arrived at the tower, their class filed out and congregated towards the front doors where they were told to wait for their tour guide. Peter pulled Alex to the back of the crowd. "Are you okay? You're still kind of putting off that 'I'll kill anyone who comes within a ten-foot radius' vibe."

She was radiating heat, and he had to fight to breathe when he entered her personal space. He just hoped no one else noticed. "I'm _trying_ to calm down, Peter," Alex ground out, her jaw tightening. "All I can think about is that waste of space shitting on you all the time."

He sighed, wondering if he should just break down and call Steve. Alex got like this sometimes when she was really angry or upset. She couldn't lower her heart rate on her own, and her first instinct was always to lash out at whoever was closest. Alex _hated_ the loss of control, and the Avengers attributed it to the few minutes of mind wiping she received at the Fold. Considering that a super soldier was relatively unbreakable and healed quickly, Steve was always the best person for the job.

But calling Steve would lead to a ruined field trip, alerting the Avengers that their class was at the Tower, and probably piss Alex off even more. She hated it when someone called for help, effectively telling her that they don't trust her to handle things on her own.

"Alex," He whispered softly, glancing over at their class talking to Hannah, one of the actual interns at SI. "I'm fine, you know that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, right?"

She nodded, taking a few deep breaths. "I don't understand why you let Flash walk all over you, though."

Peter shrugged, risking putting a hand on her shoulder. The touch must have helped, because he could breathe normally again. "Because I have these powers, and I could seriously hurt someone if I'm not careful. Just because he says something rude doesn't mean he deserves for me to fly off the handle and put him in the hospital." He squeezed her shoulder, "And you're better than that, Alex. You can control yourself, I know you can."

She glanced up at him, the color finally returning to her irises. Alex took another breath and nodded, giving him a small smile. "You're right. I-I can handle it."

"You can." He agreed, letting out a sigh of relief before turning them towards their class, who was being ushered through the front doors of the Tower.

Hannah had just finished handing out the visitor badges, all of them sporting a blue sticker in the corner. She noticed Peter and Alex and waved them over with a smile. "Hey guys, it's great to see you. I didn't know you would be here."

Peter nodded. "Yeah, we both go to Midtown High."

"Great," She grinned, and looked down at the last two badges, "I guess you guys don't need these. Did you bring your own?"

The teenagers nodded, holding theirs up. Each one had a red sticker in the corner, indicating that they had access to the Tower's private elevator, allowing them to travel to the otherwise restricted Avengers' floors.

Ned was one of the last to swipe his card through the security arch, and F.R.I.D.A.Y. welcomed him to the Avengers Tower. The two teenagers followed suit, and Peter held his breath, hoping the AI would remember his request from earlier. He let it out gratefully when all she said was, "Welcome back, Peter."

Perfect. The rest of his class was too far away to question the slightly personalized greeting. They caught up quickly as Hannah led them towards the elevators. "Welcome to the Avengers Tower, home of Stark Industries. Mr. Stark and Miss Potts have dedicated the first fifteen floors to Research & Development, floors sixteen through twenty to Manufacturing, floors twenty through twenty-three to meeting rooms, floors twenty-four through thirty to Employee Well-Being, and thirty up to the Avengers."

Betty raised her hand, and the petite brunette called on her. "What does 'Employee Well-Being' mean?"

"Those floors include full gyms and locker rooms for both men and women, along with the cafeteria. There is also a library and plenty of study areas for whoever wishes to use them." Hannah answered before calling for the elevators. "Go ahead and pick an elevator, since your class is too big to fit into one. Just go to the fifth floor, and we will tour through the first of Mr. Stark's Clean Energy initiatives."

As the doors opened and teenagers starting filing in, Peter noticed one of the private elevators off to the side opening as well. Clint and Scott walked out, the archer sporting black jeans, a white t-shirt and a leather jacket, while Scott wore sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. Peter quickly turned to Alex in a panic. What the hell were they doing here? He thought the Avengers had a training session at S.H.I.E.L.D.?

One of their classmates must have noticed them, because someone called out, "Hey look, it's Hawkeye and Ant-Man!" The two men paused in their conversation and looked towards the group, obviously debating on whether or not they wanted to make a run for it. Peter ducked behind Ned, but Alex wasn't fast enough, so they caught sight of her.

Clint's face lit up, and Scott waved excitedly. They sauntered over, and the archer crossed his arms, looking directly at the two teenagers. "What do we have here?"

Hannah stepped forward, cheeks flushed. Peter couldn't blame her, it's not like the Avengers just walked around the Tower and interacted with SI employees on a regular basis. "We have a class from Midtown High here with us on a tour."

Scott cocked his head, examining the group. "Sweet, maybe you can bring them up to forty later. We're training up there in about an hour. I'm sure they'd like to see that."

The brunette's large eyes widened even further, "I don't actually have access to those levels, Mr. Lang."

Clint scoffed and pointed in Peter and Alex's direction. "They do, just have them use their badges."

Everyone turned to stare at them, and Peter swallowed thickly.

"Why the hell does Penis Parker have a badge that will take him to the Avengers' floors?" Flash complained loudly, shooting a look of pure hatred in his direction.

Cint and Scott's heads snapped in his direction, "What did you just say, you little shit?"

Peter surged forward, putting his hands up placatingly. "I think it's time to go see the R & D floors, right Hannah?"

She glanced between the two Avengers and the class for another moment before nodding, "Right. Okay, in you go!" Hannah ushered them all inside two of the elevators.

Alex and Peter made eye contact with Clint and Scott, willing them to keep quiet about their visit. He wondered if they had even the slightest chance of that happening.

XX

"He said _what_?" Tony growled, shutting off the television in the Common Room. The Avengers were hanging out, watching an episode of Star Trek when Scott and Clint walked in.

The archer's eyes narrowed, "You heard me, it sounded like a nickname."

Tony had never wanted to kill a teenager before, but he was considering it now. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., pull up the footage you have of Peter's class. I need to see this for myself."

The television lit up again, showing the teenagers getting off the bus. They watched Peter pull Alex aside and put their heads together. Steve stood up and gestured towards their kids, "Why would he need to calm her down like that?"

"F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" Tony asked. The kids would never know, but with F.R.I.D.A.Y. installed in each of their phones, neither Peter or Alex had any 'real' privacy. He was _sure_ they wouldn't be okay with it, so he just told them that the upgrade was a homing beacon in case they were ever in trouble. In reality, the AI recorded every conversation in case something happened. He and Steve would never listen in unless it was _strictly_ necessary, of course. Like finding out if his kid was being bullied. That counted as an emergency, right?

The AI paused, and he could tell she was secretly judging him for this. "Just do it." He ordered, not wanting to bother with the reprimand.

She played the conversation she must have recorded on Peter's phone, and Tony was already calculating all of the different ways he could destroy this Flash _idiot's_ life.

When the recording stopped, the Avengers looked positively murderous, and Tony was delighted. Any chance he had to see Captain America break character was like seeing a unicorn piss on a leprechaun.

"Did he call Alex _baby_?" A low rumble erupted from Steve's throat.

Natasha's jaw was set, and she leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees, "He really did call Peter, _Penis_ Parker."

Scott pointed at the television, "Told you!"

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., I want you to track down every piece of information you can find about this kid. His blood type, his parent's occupations, his report card history, _everything_."

"Yes, Boss." Came the clipped reply. He ignored it.

Vision, their unbiased moral compass, rose up. "May I remind you all that this boy is only sixteen years old? I would advise against sending the Avengers after a mere bully. I'm sure Director Fury and our government would agree with me."

_Fuck the government_, Tony thought. "That's my kid!" He argued hotly, wondering if it was illegal to set this Flash kid up for money laundering. Probably, but it would also be well worth it.

Wanda rolled her eyes, "Peter's a big boy, Tony. And Alex can handle herself, Steve, you heard her yourself."

All of the men in the room shifted uncomfortably at Alex's threat. Steve's arms tightened across his chest, "Just because they can handle themselves doesn't mean that they should have to. I don't like bullies, especially when they're calling _our_ kids names."

"Oh, and by the way, did you guys forget to tell us they were coming?" Clint brought up, looking a little offended.

Tony scoffed, "Of course not. Peter and Alex were trying to pull a fast one on us by keeping their little field trip a secret. We need to get back at them for that. Why do you think we sent you guys downstairs?"

Scott flopped down on the couch, kicking his feet across Sam's lap. The veteran gave him a look and pushed them off with a hard shove. "You mean you planned that?"

The corners of Steve's lips twitched, but he didn't smile. Tony imagined that the super soldier wouldn't crack one until this Flash kid was dealt with. "Of course we did. I'm a master strategist."

"Then what's next on the agenda, oh, Captain my Captain?" Clint asked, perching himself atop the back of the couch.

Steve looked over at Tony, who was smirking and leaning his hip against the lounger holding Wanda. "Peter's class obviously doesn't believe he knows the Avengers, so we thought a little video evidence might help set the record straight."

"Video evidence..?" Nat asked slowly, face blank as she thought back to what the Avengers' leaders could possibly be talking about. When she realized their train of thought, her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You _wouldn't_. They will skin you both alive!"

Tony burst into laughter, nearly falling on top of Wanda, "I think it's a win-win for everyone! Their class is proved wrong, and Peter and Alex get what's coming to them for lying to us!"

Nat turned sharply to Steve, narrowing her eyes. "And you agreed to this?"

The billionaire huffed while trying to block her glare from reaching the super soldier. "Hey, hey! I corrupted him all on my own. Don't try to lead him back to the path of the boring and righteous."

Steve shrugged, looking back over his team. "I have a teenager to look after now, my leadership skills needed to be tweaked a bit. No harm, no foul, right?"

Natasha looked at the two of them like they lost their minds. Whatever she saw on their faces, it clearly wasn't enough for her to keep pushing for them to leave well enough alone. Instead, she leaned back and shook her head. "It's your funeral, boys."

XX

Alex was nervous. The moment she stepped foot into her home, she had a strange buzzing feeling that wouldn't go away. There were cameras everywhere, so there was no chance that F.R.I.D.A.Y. hadn't caught her little slip up in front of the Tower. If Peter hadn't calmed her down, she was positive Steve would have been called, and she definitely didn't want that.

She liked Steve, she really did. He was kind, excruciatingly patient, and didn't treat her like a child. He was the kind of man who expected greatness from her, but wasn't angry or disappointed when she fell short. Alex _wanted_ to make him proud, to prove that she deserved the trust he so willingly gave her. However, ever since those lunatics tried to wipe her mind in the Fold, the iron grip she had on her emotions was failing. Before, she could compartmentalize almost every situation and set aside her feelings to get the job done. Now, it was like her body _forgot_ how to do that, and she lost her cool quicker than ever before.

With Steve carrying the serum, he was always the best person for the job when her powers went out of whack, but she hated when he was forced to come calm her down. It felt like failing, and she _despised_ failing. The Avengers were understanding of course, and no one blamed her, but Alex didn't want to be the one loose cannon around a group of incredible individuals. It made her feel like an outsider. Dangerous.

So, ever since her little episode outside of the Tower, Alex was nervous that F.R.I.D.A.Y. would alert the super soldier and pull the plug on this whole field trip. Before, that would have been a little more difficult if he was at the S.H.I.E.L.D. training facility like he was supposed to be. After seeing Clint and Scott, however, the probability that Steve was in the Tower was high, which means he could come find her easily.

As Hannah led their class through the fifth floor of R & D, describing the technological advancements Tony had made with the Arc Reactor, Alex tuned her out and examined the people around her. A few SI employees and interns milled about at their workstations, only vaguely interested in the tour group. One or two of them recognized Alex and Peter, and tapped their colleagues to alert them.

While it wasn't common knowledge that Alex lived with the Avengers and Peter stayed with them on weekends, it was hard to miss two teenagers always hanging out and using the Avengers' private elevators. People probably had their own opinions about what they were always doing there, but she didn't think any one of them could really guess that Peter was Spider-Man and Tony Stark's pseudo-son, or that Alex was Shadowbreath and Captain America's ward.

A loud ringing shook her from her thoughts, and Alex's attention returned to Hannah, who was frantically pulling out her cell phone and looking apologetically towards the class. "I'm so sorry, I could have sworn I turned off the ringer, excuse me for one moment." She turned around, holding out her index finger, and her back stiffened as she listened to whoever was on the other line.

"Oh! Mr. -" Her head bobbed up and down excitedly, "Yes, of course." A few moments of silence, then, "Yes sir, right away sir." Hannah brightened and returned to face her tour group. "That was Mr. Stark himself!"

Alex felt Peter jolt beside her.

"He said there is a special video he would like to play for you all." A large screen was dropping from the ceiling, no doubt courtesy of F.R.I.D.A.Y. "Mr. Stark said that he would like to have you all participate as a focus group on a campaign aimed to help improve the Avengers' image. A PR experiment."

All of their classmates looked elated to get a glimpse into the private lives of the Avengers, but Alex's stomach dropped. What the _hell_ was Tony up to?"

The lights dimmed and the screen lit up, displaying the Common Room on the forty-fifth floor. All of the couches and chairs had been pushed back in order to create a larger space, and the memory of the night in question came rushing back to Alex. She reached out to clutch Peter's arm, and he hissed as her nails dug in. The video was going to show their Game Night from two weeks ago. It was something they did every week, and the games ranged from a simple round of poker that determined who would be on dish duty for the next week to a positively homicidal game of monopoly.

This particular night, Tony had seen a game on an episode of Ellen that he wanted to replicate, spicing things up a bit with his ridiculous theatrics from the previous weeks. Apparently, with the arrival of Peter and Alex, he wanted to prove that the youth of today didn't know how to 'bust a move' like they did in the old days, whatever that meant. A representative from each team would compete in a dance version of 'hot potato' on a time crunch. Their team would call out a dance from the little slips of white paper in a bowl, and the dancer would need to perform a few seconds of that dance until F.R.I.D.A.Y. approved it. Once she gave them the thumbs up with a chime, the next dancer would start. Whoever was still dancing when the time ran out lost.

It had been one of the best nights of Alex's life.

The video zoomed out and showed the Avengers scattered around the furniture, Alex tucked under Steve's arm on the couch while Peter sat on the floor, leaning back against Tony and Pepper's knees. The billionaire ran his fingers through Peter's hair while he explained the rules. The entire class turned to face the two of them, and Alex could feel her heartbeat speeding up. At least now no one would question that Peter interned here, right?

Tony and Steve were in _so_ much trouble.

On the video, Wanda pushed off from her spot next to Vision and leaned down to grab Peter's hands. He resisted for only a moment, spurred on by the cheers of his teammates. They stood in the center of the rug facing the Avengers, trying not to laugh. When the music started to play, Scott pulled out a piece of paper and yelled out, "Ballet!"

Peter froze for a moment before shrugging, and then performed a perfect Pirouette, earning him a round of cat-calls. A chime dinged, indicating that he passed in F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s eyes. Sam called out, "Irish Jig!" for Wanda, who proceeded to put her hands on her hips and kick her legs out. The class and the surrounding SI employees roared with laughter, and the video went on for several more minutes. Wanda did the Salsa, a Shimmy, the Can Can, Thriller, the Disco, and the Robot while Peter had to do the Running Man, part of the Single Ladies dance, the Russian dance, Vogue, the Moonwalk, and a Lap Dance, which he performed by cracking up in amusement and grinding his ass against Wanda, who pushed him away with tears in her eyes from laughing so much. When the timer stopped on the Witch, Peter's team shot up to their feet and cheered, which earned a round of applause from the entire fifth floor R & D department.

Alex cackled along with her classmates, leaning on Peter for support as she watched his entire face beat red. It wasn't anything he should be embarrassed about, not really. The video showed them hanging out with their family, watching Peter and the Scarlet Witch dance their asses off. It was painfully obvious that the teenager was the better dancer, which probably surprised a lot of people. Alex glanced over at MJ, whose normally neutral expression danced with delight. Alex grinned knowingly. While Peter hadn't actually come out and said it, she knew that her friend was crushing _hard_ on MJ. Better yet, MJ _liked_ Peter. A lot. She just wasn't in any real hurry, and said that it would happen when it happened. Alex kept both of her friends' secrets though, letting the pieces fall where they may.

Ned clapped Peter on the shoulder, "That was amazing, Peter!"

Hannah grinned from beside the screen, "So, I can tell Mr. Stark that the PR experiment was a success?"

The entire class shouted a resounding '_Yes_!' and Alex just rolled her eyes. She wanted to call bullshit, knowing that the 'PR experiment' was just an excuse for Tony to embarrass Peter. Obviously the Avengers found out that they had lied to them about the field trip. _Whoops_. Alex wasn't looking forward to seeing what else the heroes had in store for them.

"Let's head up to floor seventeen where you can get a glimpse of our engineers working on the next phase of Mr. Stark's defense plan for our troops overseas." Hannah encouraged, leading them back towards the elevators.

Peter dragged his feet, and Alex hung back with MJ and Ned. "It wasn't that bad, Pete." She offered, to which he just glared at her in return.

"It wasn't that bad? The entire class just watched me give the Scarlet Witch a lap dance!" He growled, throwing his hands up in the air. Ned and MJ tried to give him sympathetic looks, but ended up cracking up instead. Even Peter's lips twitched in amusement. It really _was_ funny.

The moment was ruined when Flash shoved his way towards her friend. He used his height to try and intimidate Peter, eyes glittering with fury. "What the hell, Parker? Who did you have to suck off to get access to the freakin' _Avengers_?"

"_Excuse me_?" He asked incredulously.

Flash just raised his chin and eyed Peter maliciously. "Not that anyone would want to go near you, but I can't figure out another reason why you would be on that video!"

"Back off, Flash!" Alex warned, stepping in between her best friend and the bully, pushing him away with a harsh shove.

Her skin crawled when the boy stepped back deliberately and raked his eyes down her body. "I'll figure out why you were there too, _baby_. Of course, you could be sleeping with someone up high to get those red badges for you and your loser cousin. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that you spread your legs for a little attention, _now_ I know I just have to wait my turn to tap that ass."

Before Alex could spontaneously combust with white-hot fury, Peter tackled Flash to the ground and threw a sharp fist across the boy's cheek. "Don't EVER talk about her like that!"

Within a few seconds, they were surrounded by their classmates. Ned and MJ grabbed Peter's arms and hauled him backwards while Alex was frozen in disbelief. She couldn't believe that Peter had just lost his temper like that. The bully had been going after him for a months now, and the thing that made him snap was Flash insulting _her_?

"Peter Parker!" Their teacher yelled, moving to help a moaning Flash up off of the ground. "What in the world were you _thinking_?" Mrs. Tidwell looked down her nose at them and scowled, "I think it's time for you and Miss Rogers to return to the bus," She hissed. "I'll be calling your parents to alert them of your behavior. Expect detention at the very _least,_ but I'll be pushing for a suspension!"

Alex scoffed, outraged. "Are you kidding me? We're in trouble? What about Flash? He's the one who started all of this!"

Mrs. Tidwell shook her head, looking at the pair of them like they were wild animals. "I watched you physically shove the poor boy and then Mr. Parker tackled him to the ground and punched him! He didn't lay a hand on either of you." She bared her teeth, "I want both you downstairs, _now_! Your field trip is over."

Before Alex could continue to protest, Peter grabbed her arm and pulled her along towards the elevators, only looking back to spare a glance at MJ and Ned, who were fuming just as much as she was. When the doors closed behind them, Alex turned to her best friend, who was bent over and clutching his chest. "Can't...breathe…!"

She jerked and fought to control her powers, which had apparently been malfunctioning again the more upset she got. By the time they reached the bottom floor, Peter was breathing normally again, albeit just a little ragged. He looked ravenous, but he took her arm again and led her out towards the front door, ignoring the curious looks from the SI employees. "I can't _believe_ he said that to you." Before they got there, he turned and grabbed her shoulders. "I'm so sorry Alex. Flash has been getting worse over the past few months, but I didn't think he would ever go that far."

Alex didn't realize how much Flash's words affected her until her anger subsided just a fraction for her to feel the hurt underneath it all. When her gaze met Peter's, she fought down another wave of frustration, trying to blink back the tears that burned in her eyes and flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. "I-I don't know why he did!" He tightened her grip on him. "I-I've never even _looked_ at anyone while I've been at Midtown!"

Peter's voice quieted down, "He's just jealous, Alex. No one has ever turned him down before, and he just saw proof that we spend time with the Avengers. He was just mad that he was proved wrong in front of everyone. Plus, I'm pretty sure that whatever's going on at home has been escalating, but that doesn't give him any excuse to say those things to you."

She continued to try and steady her breaths, stepping back and shoving the heel of her hand against her eyes to fight down the tears that threatened to spill. Boys were stupid. Just because she didn't want to go out with Flash, despite the hundreds of times over the past three months he's asked, didn't mean he could just _say_ shit like that. It was an embarrassing kind of hurt, one that she wasn't used to. Alex nodded slowly and turned to walk out the front doors back towards the bus.

When they stepped outside, both teenagers froze. Natasha, Wanda, and Scott were standing in their way, arms crossed and looking more angry than Alex could remember ever seeing them. They looked at the Avengers for a few moments of silence before Peter spoke up. "Guys?" Once they were finally acknowledged, all three of them hurried forward and wrapped them both up in tight hugs.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked, trying to pull away from Nat's grasp.

Scott's jaw clenched, and he kept an arm around Peter. "What's going on is that Vision and Sam are currently trying to stop a world-class archer, the world's most dangerous billionaire, and Captain freaking America from killing a sixteen year old boy."

Peter ran his hands through his hair, "You guys saw my fight, didn't you?" He looked dejected, "Is Tony going to call May? I don't want her to know that I hit him…"

Nat narrowed her eyes, catching his hand and wrapping her own around it. "You think he's upset about the fight? Peter, you did the right thing."

The two teenagers looked at each other with eyebrows raised. "Wait, what?"

Wanda threw her hands up in the air, "After what he said to both of you? He's lucky he didn't end up in the hospital! If it had been any one of us, he would have."

Peter shrugged, "It doesn't matter, I have my powers now, I'm not supposed to start fights. Besides, Mrs. Tidwell made it perfectly clear that it was our fault, and now we have to wait on the bus until the tour is over."

Nat practically growled, "I'm going to blow up the damn bus if you take another step towards it." She kept her hold on Peter's hand and grabbed Alex's, spinning on her heel. "We're going home."

"But-" Alex started, but was cut off.

"No buts!" All three Avengers barked in unison, and together they were led back through the doors into the Tower. This time, Alex tried to cover her face, because people were certainly looking now. They might not have recognized just Peter and Alex on their own, but Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Ant-Man were impossible to miss. The Avengers private elevators opened as they got closer, and F.R.I.D.A.Y. sent them up without having to be told which floor.

They were deposited in the gym, where Clint, Steve and Tony waited. They were ushered off of the elevator, and Alex felt her heartbeat speed up again. Were they in trouble? Despite what Nat said outside, it was still possible that Alex and Peter would be reprimanded for starting a fight with another student. Especially one that didn't have any sort of enhanced abilities like they did.

But she shouldn't have worried, because the moment they came into view, Steve rushed over and wrapped Alex in a bone-crushing hug, while Tony moved to drop a kiss on Peter's head and examine the scrape on his hand from punching Flash. The super soldier took a step back, hands still on her shoulders, and bent down so that they were at eye level. "Are you okay? F.R.I.D.A.Y. showed us what that kid said."

She tried to shake him off, not wanting him to get all worked up about some punk. "I-I'm fine, Steve. Really. Peter took care of it."

Tony was looking up at the ceiling like he was trying to control his patience. "That fuck-tard is going to get what's coming to him, believe me. And your teacher?" He scoffed, "Sending you two back to the bus while he gets off scott-free? I don't think so."

Peter ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he picked up from Tony. "It's fine, Tony." He murmured, trying to calm them down, "She wasn't close enough to hear what he said to Alex."

"It shouldn't matter!" Clint countered hotly, "That kid has been bullying you for how long, Pete? They've done nothing to stop it. And now he went after Alex."

Steve tucked her underneath his arm, a place he seemed to think she was the safest if the last few months were any indication. "And _nobody_ goes after her and gets away with it."

"So...you're not mad?" Peter asked hopefully, looking up at Tony with wide eyes.

The billionaire blinked at him, then raised an eyebrow at the other Avengers as if to ask '_Can you believe this kid?_' "Of course I'm not mad, kiddo. You did what you had to do to protect your friend."

Peter let out an exhale of relief. "Good." He looked around, "What do we do now? Mrs. Tidwell told us to wait at the bus until the tour was over."

Nat put her hands on her hips, "Screw that bitch. You two aren't going anywhere."

Scott nodded, "Your class is coming here."

Alex and Peter looked at each other nervously, "Here? How?" She asked.

Steve still had yet to let her move from her position flush against his side. "Sam went down there to bring them up. Tony is going to talk to your teacher while I have a little chat with Mr. Thompson."

Clint huffed, "I'm still waiting for the green light to shoot them both with my new arrows."

Peter shot him a look, "Those haven't been tested yet."

The archer waved him off, clearly unconcerned. Everything that Peter or Tony had a hand in making worked perfectly.

The elevator doors opened, revealing Sam, Hannah, Mrs. Tidwell, and the rest of their class. Steve instinctually moved his body so that it was in front of Alex, blocking her from the newcomers. Their teacher apparently did not pick up on the fact that the Avengers were protecting them, because she stomped forward. "Peter Parker! Alex Rogers! Did I not tell you to wait on the bus?" She scowled at them before turning an apologetic look towards Tony. "I'm so incredibly sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Stark. These two just started a fight with another student, I will ensure that _extra_ disciplinary actions will be taken for interrupting your training session."

Tony's eyes flashed, and he took a looming step towards the teacher. "Mrs. Tidwell, was it?"

She straightened, nodding with a sense of importance that such a powerful man knew her name, "Yes sir."

"Do you happen to know how this Tower is run, Mrs. Tidwell?" He asked. When she gave him a confused look, Tony raised his chin and looked over at the class. "Can anyone answer my question?"

Ned glanced around before raising his hand. "Your AI, F.R.I.D.A.Y., runs the tower, Mr. Stark."

"Great job, Ned." He grinned. Mrs. Tidwell looked taken aback at how the billionaire knew Ned's name. Tony smirked at the teacher, "He's right, my AI runs the tower. She records anything and everything said and done within these walls." He took another step forward, his smirk twisting into a frown. "Which means I have the fight on video."

Mrs. Tidwell's face fell nervously, not sure where this was going. Tony looked over her shoulder at the class. "I'm going to give Eugene one chance to come forward and apologize to both Peter and Alex."

Everyone looked at Flash, whose face had paled. He seemed to grow defensive with the new scrutiny, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know what your talking about, Mr. Stark. I have nothing to apologize for. Parker hit _me_, not the other way around."

Tony narrowed his eyes, jaw twitching. "Very well." He glanced behind him at Steve, "For the sake of our kids, I'm not going to play the video in front of everyone." Alex let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She had no interest in hearing Flash insinuate those things again. Tony looked back at Mrs. Tidwell, "I've prepared a file containing video evidence of Eugene Thompson bullying my kid over the past year, along with the video of today's fight. You can clearly see that Peter was just defending her honor, as I would expect him to. When you get back to school, you'll find yourself in a meeting with the principal, Mr. Thompson's parents, Mr. Rogers, and myself."

Mrs. Tidwell blanched, "Mr. Stark, I-"

"Expect to be questioned on all fifteen accounts that you witnessed Mr. Thompson's bullying, and did nothing to stop it. I would expect that your principal will have a few choice words for the teacher that got him yelled at by Captain America himself."

The entire class froze, as if realizing the connection between Alex and Steve for the first time. Their teacher was looking back and forth between Steve, Alex, Tony, and Peter. "Wait, these aren't-"

"Our kids?" Steve asked hotly, finally speaking. Alex's eyes widened at how the moment he chose to take control, it was like the air bent towards him to capture everyone's attention. "Yes, they are. We've trusted you to protect them while they're at school, and you can't even seem to manage that." Steve turned towards Flash, eyes narrowing, "Mr. Thompson, I'd like to have a word. Please come with me."

The teenager looked like he was ready to bolt. But to his credit, Flash just stuffed his hands in his pockets and nodded, letting Steve lead him back towards the elevator. The super soldier shot one last look at Alex and Peter before the doors closed.

Tony cleared his throat. "Mrs. Tidwell, I ask that you please return to the bus while Hannah finishes giving the rest of the class the tour. I can assure you that your services will no longer be needed."

When she looked like she wanted to argue, Natasha sandwiched herself between Alex and Peter, taking out her dual knives and examining them nonchalantly. With the message received, the blood drained from their teacher's face, and she stumbled backwards towards the elevator doors. Everyone was quiet as they watched her leave, and the room let out a collective sigh when the doors closed.

Everything was silent for a few minutes before Tony clapped his hands together loudly, "Now, Hannah, why don't you let Sam show the kiddies around the gym, huh? Then you all can go back down and check out the Manufacturing and Well-Being floors." The dismissal was obvious, and Sam and Scott ushered everyone along to start walking them through the Avengers' gym. When Alex and Peter moved to follow, Tony held up his hands. "Where do you think you're going?"

They looked at each other, "Back to our field trip?"

Wanda frowned at them, "You two already know the tower like the back of your hands."

A wicked smirk danced across Clint's face. "I thought maybe we could play some Mario Kart instead."

"Are you sure? After all of…" Peter gestured towards the elevators, "that?

Tony's expression hardened again, "It will keep us calm until we have to go talk to the school this afternoon. Mrs. Tidwell is _so_ unbelievably fired for letting that shit go on for as long as it did, and Steve's seeing to it that Mr. Thompson's repercussions are both tortuous and long standing. No one messes with my kid and gets away with it."

Peter's lips twitched. "I was fine, dad. I had it handled until he went after Alex."

Natasha stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "That's the problem, маленький паук. No one should have to 'handle it,' no matter who they are. Kids can't grow up thinking it's okay to put other people down. He needs to be taught a lesson. It just so happens that Captain America will be the one teaching it to him."

Alex made eye contact with Peter, who had deflated. It was a good thing the Avengers intervened, she supposed. It kept Peter out of trouble for punching another student, and it helped establish the credibility of the two teenagers with the rest of their classmates. Hopefully now they would know not to mess with either of them again.

As the rest of the Avengers crowded into the elevator, Peter perked up, eyes flashing hotly in Tony's direction. "By the way, you are so _dead _for showing everyone that video of Game Night."

The billionaire was undeterred by the threat. "What, the video of you dancing to Single Ladies? Think of it as another lesson, kid. You lie to me, the world finds out that you know how to do a perfect Pirouette."

Peter groaned and buried his head against Tony's chest, just to the right of the Arc Reactor. The billionaire grinned down at Alex, "Same goes for you, you know."

Alex scoffed, crossing her arms against her chest. "You've got nothing on me, Stark."

Tony smirked, then looked up at the other Avengers with a twinkle in his eye. "No? So you don't remember karaoke night a few weeks ago? You and Clint did a beautiful rendition of that Journey song. How did it go again?"

Her cheeks flared, and she stuffed her hands into her pockets. "Point made. We won't lie to you guys again."

"Agreed," Peter said, a little subdued.

When the doors opened up to the Common Room floor, Clint just couldn't seem to help himself, and burst out into song, "JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL!"

Wanda whooped and lifted her hands, "LIVIN IN A LONELY WORLD!"

Alex covered her face with her hands when Scott continued, "SHE TOOK THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN-"

"GOING ANYWHERE!" The rest of the Avengers joined in with hearty laughs, knocking their shoulders lightly against Alex. Peter even cracked a smile and looped his arm through hers.

"We're a mess."

She grinned, dropping her head onto his shoulder and shaking with laughter as they all continued with the song. "We're a mess," Alex agreed.

XX

When Steve returned to the Common Room, Alex and Peter were busy playing video games with Wanda and Clint. He watched them fondly for a few moments before catching Tony's eye and cocking his head off to the side. The billionaire nodded and ruffled Peter's hair, earning him a groan of annoyance, and joined Steve in the kitchen.

"How'd it go with the kid?" He asked, pouring himself another cup of coffee.

Steve grimaced, "It went as well as can be expected, I suppose." During F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s intel gathering on Eugene "Flash" Thompson, two consecutive minor emergency clinic visits were flagged. When Tony dug a little deeper into the medical files, the injuries indicated signs of abuse. "Mr. Thompson was reluctant to explain that his father was recently laid off from his job, and that the cutbacks put a lot of stress on the family."

Tony grimaced, "What did he say when you mentioned the injuries?"

He sighed in response, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That they were accidents. I told him that there is no excuse for an adult to ever lay a hand on a child, and that if he was scared, or in danger, that he can always call the Avengers' line."

Before the billionaire could question him further, Steve crossed his arms and leaned against the marble countertop. "I also explained that having problems at home isn't an excuse to take out your anger and frustration on other people. I told him that he needed to apologize for his actions, and to find some friends that he trusts enough to open up to."

Tony took a few long sips of his coffee. "You handled that so much better than I would have, Cap."

Steve shrugged, "it's a hard situation, Tony. We can do everything in our power to protect Peter and Alex, but sometimes the villains are just scared kids. We can't solve everything by knocking our enemies out."

"Trust me, I know." Tony nodded slowly, his gaze traveling towards the kids on the couch, cheering at their recent win over Wanda and Clint.

"I know."

XX

The following day, they had a substitute teacher who explained that Mrs. Tidwell was no longer employed at Midtown High.

Even better, Flash pulled Peter, Alex, MJ, and Ned aside once class was over and apologized for being such an asshole. "It was wrong of me to take out my frustrations at home on all of you, and I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

Peter blinked in surprise when the bully slumped out of class without saying another word. He looked over at Alex, who was grinning with delight. "Miracles happen, I suppose."


End file.
